Switch on at CERN
by Solsbury Girl
Summary: Are Jack and Ianto facing the end of the universe? Black holes, the Rift, particle accelerators and a measure of Janto angst.
1. A Very Big Bang

Are Jack and Ianto facing the end of the universe? Black holes, the Rift, particle accelerators – it's all here in this story. With, of course, a measure of Janto angst to keep it interesting. And remember – it's just a story!

The plot bunny hopped by on Monday. He was a bit late, but this is what he left. He wants me to point out that neither he, nor I, are particle physicists so the science underlying this might well be flaky. He also asked me to mention that in Europe we write our dates dd.mm.yy and don't put the month before the day.

**

* * *

****Chapter 1 – Switch on at CERN - A Very Big Bang**

"Did you feel that?" asked Ianto, abruptly.

Jack smiled languidly. "Mmmm, you bet I did. It was wonderful."

"No, not that." said Ianto, almost offhand. "Sex with you is always good. You know that. But did you feel the earth move?"

"Yes!" replied Jack, slightly put out. "I just told you, it was great."

"No!" Ianto was becoming agitated. "That's not what I mean."

Jack looked crestfallen.

"Jack, let's leave your ego out of this just for once. I am deadly serious. Something happened just then."

Jack kept quiet, inviting Ianto to continue.

"It was as if the earth shuddered. I had my eyes open and suddenly it seemed like, for a brief moment, everything was out of focus. As if the earth sneezed."

Jack pondered; when Ianto was this serious he needed to pay attention. Even though he thought that his own performance warranted at least closed eyes.

"What did you see? Jack asked. He'd had his eyes shut throughout.

"I don't know. But suddenly everything was out of focus. It only lasted for a second or two. It was like being in an earthquake. Cardiff wobbled."

Jack was surprised to discover that Ianto had experienced a British earthquake; they didn't happen that often.

"Something's not right, Jack." Ianto was deadly serious. His gaze met Jack's , holding it until Jack returned the look.

"What's going on, Jack?"

"I don't know, Ianto. I don't know.'

Jack quickly threw on some clothes and went to check the Rift monitor. "Ianto! You were right. Something is happening. There are huge spikes showing in the Rift. Something big must have come through."

Ianto sighed; the Rift seldom allowed them a quiet evening together. It was definitely becoming a third person in their relationship. And whilst a ménage a trios was not against Jack's principles, nor even necessarily Ianto's, the Rift didn't meet the requirements for the third person.

**Monday 08/09/08**

"There was significant Rift activity last night," confirmed Gwen. "But I can't see any signs of anything coming through. I've never seen anything like it before. Huge spikes, but no reports of problems. I have no idea what is going on."

"Just keep an eye on it Gwen. Let me know if anything happens, anything at all."

**Tuesday -09/09/08**

"Anything this morning?" asked Jack, arriving sedately from his bunker into the Hub. The usual spring in his step was missing.

"Jack!" greeted Gwen "It's getting worse. The Rift has been active – hyperactive – for the last twenty four hours. Still no reports of anything new through, but I think something is coming." Gwen was starting to become concerned.

"Something in the darkness." said Jack quietly. His thoughts were clearly a long way away.

Ianto felt a thousand chills run through his soul. If he'd only known what was to come, he'd have felt a million.

**Wednesday 10/09/08**

"Jack!" Ianto called urgently across the Hub. He was watching a television screen intently. "Did you know about this?"

Jack stood at Ianto's side. "Know about what?"

Ianto turned to look squarely into his captain's eyes. "They started early."

"Huh?" asked Jack, apparently bemused.

"The testing. It started early."

"What testing?"

"The testing at CERN."

Jack sat down heavily. "What? What?" He was clearly very shocked. "That is on the news? Did they say anything else? You know, they weren't due to even start real testing until today, once the new particle accelerator in Switzerland is put into full commission. First collisions were planned at the end of October at the earliest. That's what the press releases to the news media says."

"Not according to the evening news." commented Ianto, gesturing to the television screen. "That says that they have been performing full experiments for weeks."

Jack was pale. "UNIT told me yesterday that there had been discoveries in the preliminary stages. They've actually had to suspend everything. They can't go truly live today. But for the sake of the funding of the experiment, the publicity machine must continue. The new particle accelerator will be 'commissioned' today as planned. If not, the major sources of funding from European governments will dry up just at the point when it is most needed most."

Ianto was amazed to see Jack reach for the decanter of whisky.

"Why is funding needed most now, Jack?" asked Ianto, with trepidation. He'd picked up on Jack's unease.

Jack took a deep breath. "It's gone wrong." He spread his hands, palms upwards in an unconscious gesture of total openness.

Ianto was surprised. He hadn't expected such a forthright answer. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

Jack moved towards him and took his hands in his own. "The new particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland; you know that it is designed to try to recreate the circumstances that existed a billionth of a second after the Big Bang?"

"Yes," confirmed Ianto uncertainly. "They want to confirm the existence of the Higgs boson."

"The 'God' particle." breathed Jack.

"Yes." Ianto waited for Jack to continue, knowing that there was something Jack hadn't told him, hadn't told any of them, something he was keeping to himself. He did that too well.

"The commissioning date has just been a publicity stunt. They've been bringing it up, bringing it on line for the last month."

"Yes?" Ianto said gently, an invitation to Jack to continue.

"They discovered the God Particle ten days ago."

"What?"

"You heard."

"But that's what they were looking for. How is that bad?"

"They discovered something else, too."

Ianto felt his breathing become irregular. "What?' Jack, what the hell else did they find?"

Jack looked straight into Ianto's eyes. "Something no one predicted."

"What?' Ianto's mouth was dry. He realized he was scared. Very scared.

"Jack." prompted Ianto.

"The truth?" asked Jack, "You really want the truth?"

"For once, Jack, just for once, the truth would really be nice." said Ianto.

Jack put down his glass and crossed the distance between them. He cupped Ianto's chin in his hands and tilted it up towards him.

"You can't breathe a word of this. Not even to Gwen. To no one. If it gets out…."

Ianto nodded.

Jack sat down beside him and put his arm around his shoulders, and pulled him into a gentle embrace.

"They finished the work ahead of schedule. All this media hype about Big Bang day is fabricated for the publicity machine. They started the experiments a month or more ago. They were rather hoping to find the Higgs boson quite quickly; they rather wanted it to show up for the launch party " Jack paused and dragged his hand wearily across his forehead.

Ianto waited in silence for him to continue.

Jack didn't. He seemed lost in a world of his own. To the outside observer, it didn't seem like a pleasant world.

"Jack." said Ianto. "Jack!"

Jack returned to the conversation with a shudder.

"They created something they weren't expecting. Something that the mathematical models said was almost impossible."

Ianto felt his blood run cold. He'd never really understood that expression until now.

"What have they done?" he croaked.

Jack kissed him softly on the forehead. "They created a black hole."

Jack forestalled Ianto's questions by carrying on with his explanation. "I heard from UNIT a few days ago. All the constants in our world are starting to disintegrate.

"Jack; I'm not a particle physicist; what the hell does that mean?"

It scared Ianto further when Jack took another swallow of the whisky. He'd only seen Jack drink twice before.

Jack looked him straight in the eyes. "It means that the whole fabric of time and space is unraveling." he stopped.

Ianto was confused. And very scared.

"What's going to happen, Jack?"

Jack swallowed a large mouthful of spirit. His expression was unreadable, but there was something leaden in his eyes. He didn't answer straight away.

"No one knows, Ianto, no one knows. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Ianto sagged against Jack. "This is why the Rift has been so active in the last few days, isn't it? he asked.

Jack nodded, "Yes, I'm pretty sure of that. The Rift and the black hole are interacting with each other."

"If there's a black hole in the middle of an underground chamber in Switzerland," said Ianto, his mind whirling, "how come it hasn't sucked everyone and everything from the earth into it? I thought that's the way they worked."

"Kind of," said Jack. "What you've just described is the event horizon, that's the boundary of a black hole; no light or matter can escape outside this boundary. And anything crossing the event horizon gets pulled into the hole. But the hole they've created in Switzerland is unimaginably tiny at the moment; its event horizon is only the size of a few atoms. And it is containable."

Ianto interrupted him "But all the news reports are saying that it was impossible. That no way could a black hole be created by this science. It's been a major preoccupation of the media for days now. Calls for the LHC not to be brought online, that it's dangerous, but every person in a position of power and authority has refuted these notions."

"And you believe what you read in the papers do you Ianto? Shame on you. I should have thought that you, of all people, would recognize a cover up when you see one. You cover enough for Torchwood. By the time the papers picked up on the black hole theory, the folks at CERN had already created one."

"So if it is containable, why is it a problem?"

"It's growing. It is feeding on something. Its event horizon is increasing exponentially and no one knows why. Except I think I do; I think it is feeding on Rift energy. That's why we are seeing the increasing spikes. The black hole is opening up the Rift.

"That's really not good, is it Jack?" Ianto reached for Jack's glass and took a large mouthful himself.

Jack cradled the young Welshman to him, as much to comfort himself as to help Ianto. "No, Ianto, it isn't. And I think it actually gets worse. I think that the reason the black hole is able to feed on the Rift is because the two are connected."

"How could that be?" asked Ianto, perplexed.

"You've heard of wormholes?" asked Jack. "Their existence has never been proved, but essentially if you think of time and space as being flat surface, if it gets folded over then a worm hole becomes a way of connecting two end points. Sort of a short cut through time and space through which matter can travel. It's the way the TARDIS gets around. The Vortex is a wormhole of sorts, too.""

"Oh God." said Ianto as realization dawned. "Do you mean that the black hole is pulling matter from the universe into itself via the Rift?"

"Yes, I think so. That's why, although there have been spikes in Rift activity nothing has come through. Well, I think things have come through but instead of the flotsam and jetsam ending up here in Cardiff like normal, they are being sucked straight into the black hole."

"How the hell do we stop it Jack? Because if we don't break the link between them….."

"The black hole will eventually suck everything from the universe into itself. It will become the universe."

"I don't suppose," Ianto started, trying to sound hopeful "that everything could exist eventually as it does today, only in this parallel universe….."

Jack smiled. "Nice idea, Ianto, but no. The forces within a black hole are immense; they have to be – that's why not even light can escape the event horizon. Anything sucked into the black hole will be crushed."

"Bit like what happens to old cars at the scrap yard. You take in a Ford Escort and get back a cube of metal you can put on your mantelpiece."

"Pretty much." said Jack.

"Is there anything we can do Jack?"

Jack nodded solemnly. "I have only one idea about how to fix it. And I have no idea whether it will work." Again, he had that far away look.

"Where are you Jack? Where's your mind right now?" Ianto refilled the glass they were both sharing and offered it companionably to Jack.

Jack smiled wanly at him, coming back to the present. He shook his head. "I was thinking about what happened on Satellite Five. When Rose looked into the heart of the TARDIS. And then, when I left you to travel with my Doctor, what happened when I found him again."

"What did happen then, Jack? You've never really told me."

"It hurt me too much for such a long time; I couldn't speak about it."

"Not even to me?"

"No, not even to you. Especially not to you. I'd hurt you too much by leaving you, I couldn't expect you listen to my pain when the Doctor left me."

"Tell me now, Jack."

"I think I have to tell you now. Because I owe you at least an explanation. Because…" he swallowed hard and picked up the glass before continuing. "Because, if I do what I think I have to do, I have to leave you again. And I promised I would never do that again. But this time I don't think that I'll be able to come back."

Ianto's expression didn't change. He continued to look at Jack. Jack offered the glass to him. He didn't notice. He just sat still, staring, a look of horror and pain starting to register in his eyes. Jack lifted the glass to Ianto's lips. "Here, cariad, have a sip. Hey, I know how you feel."

Ianto suddenly jumped up, dashing the glass from Jack's hand to the floor where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

Ianto pointed angrily at the shards. "No! You don't know how I feel! That's how I feel right now." shouted Ianto, "You tell me you'll never leave me and then you tell me you are going to break my heart again."

Jack stood up and tried to hold the young man, but Ianto wouldn't let him. "Get away from me Jack. You are just a bastard, you know that?"

"Hear me out, Ianto, please." begged Jack. But Ianto ran from the room, retreating through the Hub to the safety of the tourist office. He went behind the bead curtain into the tiny cupboard-like kitchen and leaned on the sink, trying to calm himself. He splashed cold water on his face and fought back the urge to run from the building and just keep running until he outran his fear and pain. He stood there for a few minutes until he heard a familiar voice.

"There's only one thing stronger than the forces at work on the Rift," said Jack softly from the door of the tourist office. "And that's the space-time vortex itself. That's the only thing strong enough to break the link between the black hole and the Rift."

"And to use it, I am going to have to go into the Rift."


	2. I Have to go Away

**Chapter Two – I Have to Go Away**

"I am the only person alive who has traveled through the vortex unprotected. That's what I was trying to tell you. When I disappeared, so soon after Abaddon, the Doctor didn't want me anywhere near him. He tried to leave me, tried to abandon me, again." Jack looked infinitely sad as he remembered how it had felt, knowing at that moment how Ianto must have felt equally abandoned.

"But I held onto the outside of the TARDIS just as he was disappearing, and we flew through the vortex to the end of time itself. Even the TARDIS tried to shake me off, but the Vortex recognized its own energy in me – that's what makes me immortal, the vortex energy. Rose was only a conduit. The Vortex held me against the TARDIS. She didn't want me to get lost in her. I have to take the risk that she will recognize and protect me again. If the wormhole is pulling Rift energy into the black hole, then the Rift in turn will also be creating another split in the fabric of the space time continuum; Vortex energy will be seeping through into this universe too. That shouldn't happen. The Vortex is hurt, Ianto. I have to help her and then hope that she will help me in return. And then I have to destroy the wormhole. Or at least stop it connecting the Rift to the black hole. I have to try it Ianto, I have to try. It's the only chance the planet has. It's the only chance the universe has."

"What about the Doctor; your precious Doctor. Can't he help?"

"Not even he can travel unprotected in the Vortex. I have to do it, Ianto."

Ianto nodded. He didn't trust himself to speak. He poured a glass of water and lifted it to his lips, but then thought better of it and put it down on the draining board.

"Jack, give me just a little time. Please. Just leave me alone for a while. I can't be strong at the moment. And I need to be for you. Give me just a few minutes."

Jack pushed himself off from the door jamb on which he'd been leaning and crossed the tourist office to Ianto. He placed his hands on the young man's shoulders and looked him straight in the eye. He pulled Ianto towards him and kissed him roughly. "I love you Ianto Jones. No matter what happens, always remember that." Jack turned abruptly and left the office.

Ianto slid slowly down the wall and sat, hunched, on the cold floor for a long time.

* * *

"Gwen. Tell me about the spikes in the Rift. Are they by any chance all centered at the same place?"

Gwen punched some buttons on her keyboard and looked at the monitor as the display refreshed. "Yes and no." she replied.

Jack raised his eyebrows quizzically. "Well, which is it?"

Gwen pointed at the monitor. "In any one cluster of spikes measured over in a given period of approximately six hours, the spikes are all centered on the same place. But then the next spike cluster centers on a different location. It's never been in the same place twice."

"Could you fire up Tosh's Rift predictor programme please Gwen. I need to know where and when the next cluster is coming."

Gwen looked at him. "What's going on Jack?"

Jack reached up and lightly touched her cheek. "I have to go into the Rift."

She was about to question him but he put his index finger gently on her lips. "Gwen, please. Don't question me on this one. It has to be done. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. I need you. I need you to do as I ask. Trust me."

Gwen swallowed back her myriad questions. She remembered what had happened last time they'd questioned their Captain's orders. They had all mutinied, and Owen had finished his trip into private madness by shooting Jack dead.

"OK." She said quietly.

Jack kissed her gently on the cheek. "Thank you Gwen Cooper." he whispered.

"I need you to take care of Ianto. He will want to come with me. And he can't. He simply can't. And I don't trust him not to do something foolish at the last minute. He means the world to me."

Gwen touched his arm lightly. "He'll be OK. I'll make sure. What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to open the Rift when I tell you to. That's all."

"And how do we bring you back?"

"You don't, Gwen. You don't. I'll find my own way back"

Gwen looked shocked but Jack shook his head, discouraging her questions. She began her preparations to make ready the Rift Manipulator. He felt a huge pride in her at that moment for doing as he requested without making a difficult decision any worse.

"Gwen, when's the next spike cluster starting?"

"In around two hours. Over in Butetown."

Jack almost smiled. "How convenient, I can walk. Won't have to even get the SUV out. Can you hold the fort for me; I need to go to Ianto."

* * *

Ianto was still sitting on the floor of the tourist office, staring blankly at the wall when Jack returned. Jack slid down the wall to sit beside him, close but not touching. Without looking, Ianto said "It's OK Jack. I understand. You have to go. You must go. I'll come wi…"

"No," said Jack kindly. "You can't. I have a chance. You don't. She won't know you as one of her own. I have to do this alone. Even the Doctor couldn't do this."

Ianto leaned his head on Jack's shoulder, broken. "I thought you'd say that."

"Believe me, if there was any other way…."

"What will happen to you Jack?"

Jack thought for a moment but decided that he couldn't shield Ianto from this. "I don't know. I really don't know. If I can repair the Vortex, I hope to be able to direct some of her energy into the black hole and sever the link to the wormhole. The scientists will be able to isolate and contain the black hole. The moment the link is broken, they can seal off the accelerator forever. They will fill the tunnel with concrete and it will become a lead-lined sarcophagus. There will be a force field just outside the black hole's event horizon that will prevent the concrete just pouring into it and disappearing."

"But you, Jack, what about you?"

Jack sighed. "I think that, maybe as soon as the Vortex is healed, as I am in the Rift I will be sucked through the wormhole and into the black hole. Or maybe I'll get caught when they flood the tunnels."

Ianto shut his eyes, digging his fingernails into his palms relishing the pain it brought to distract him momentarily from the overwhelming urge to throw up.

Jack smoothed the hair back from Ianto's forehead with the tips of his fingers, feeling the heat and the sweat. He licked his fingers. "You taste salty." He smiled. "I'll be OK. No matter what, I'll be OK. Hey, I'm immortal, remember? And I need to know that you will be too. Promise me Jones, Ianto Jones, that if I don't come back, you will take care of yourself. None of this forgetting to eat and working till you drop. I need you to take care of Gwen, too. And rebuild Torchwood for me. That's the greatest legacy I can leave."

"That, and having saved the universe." said Ianto softly.

"Oh yes, and saving the universe. Goes with the job. Just call me Captain America."

Jack stood up and offered his hand to Ianto. Ianto reached up and grasped it and Jack hauled him to his feet.

"I love you too Jack." he said gently.

"I know," said Jack, with infinite sadness. "Some days, I wish you didn't, but I'm glad that you do."

Hand in hand they walked slowly back to the main part of the Hub, relishing every second of the walk they'd made so many many times before without even thinking about it.

"Well, kids." he said, trying to inject at least some brightness into the atmosphere, even though no one felt it. "Time to go."

Numbly, Ianto helped him into his greatcoat, and gave the shoulders a brush. "Can't have you going off to save the world looking scruffy can we sir?" he asked, trying unsuccessfully to keep the catch out his voice.

Jack knew how terribly, terribly difficult it had been for him to say that, and at that moment felt his heart almost burst with love and pride for his young Welshman.

"Thank you, Ianto, thank you for every thing."

They embraced, holding onto each other and their memories, as if the very fabric of their being depended on it.

Finally Ianto said "Jack, you've got to go."

Jack stood at the cog door, waiting for it to open fully. He looked back to his little team, feeling the presence of Tosh and Owen, seeing Ianto and Gwen. He gestured slightly with his hand and raised his index finger. "Look after each other, kids. Play nicely together, remember to share your toys. See you in hell." Jack looked into Ianto's eyes and Ianto met his gaze. Ianto swallowed hard. And then he winked. And with that, Jack knew that he had Ianto's blessing to do whatever he had to.

The walk up into Butetown felt strange. Jack had never felt so alive or so alone. He was very aware of the Bluetooth communications device in his ear. He knew he was within one press of being able to talk to Ianto but he didn't dare. One word from his Welshman at the moment would weaken his resolve. As it was, he wasn't quite sure how he could go through with his plan. If it succeeded, he would spend eternity buried under the crushing weight of thousands of tons of concrete and lead. If he failed then he would be crushed in the agonizing hold of a black hole. He had to shut his mind down to these thoughts. All he wanted was to be tucked up in a warm bed with Ianto, with only Weevils and the fate of the earth to worry about. Suddenly the fate of the universe lay on his shoulders too. He shook his head. How had it come to this? A Time Agent, a con man, a local hero. Potential saviour of the universe.

The cold night air refreshed him, and he drew his coat more closely around his body and thrust his hands deeper into his pockets.

He could see the Rift energy bathing the park in its eerie soft light.

He activated his comms device. "Gwen, Ianto, open the Rift."

The light intensified to an almost blinding brightness. Jack stepped into the Rift.


	3. Time Out of Time

**Chapter Three – Time Out of Time**

He'd only been into the Rift once before, when Owen had opened up the way back from 1941. And he'd only been in it for a split second before it had spat him out at the same position he'd entered, just in a different time. Now there was no exit portal. And, as the team back in the Hub shut the entry portal, the brightness dimmed to a point where, after his eyes had adjusted, he was able to make out some details. However it was difficult, because there was nothing tangible for his eyes to really see, for his brain to make sense of. If asked, he would have described the Rift as more an experience than a tangible thing. He felt himself bathed in a purple glow and it seemed as if pin pricks of light at the very edge of his vision shot by at high speed but he wasn't quite sure. The hairs on his arms were standing up, and he had goose bumps, although he wasn't cold. One thing was very certain – he was all on his own and he had never felt so unutterably lonely and afraid in his life.

"Get a grip, Harkness" he said to himself aloud, wanting to hear a sound, any sound. His voice echoed abruptly around. He took a tentative step and was surprised to discover that he could indeed walk in the Rift. He realized that, subconsciously, he'd expected to experience a falling sensation.

He had no idea how long he had been there, in fact he suspected that there was no concept of time within the Rift. His watch had stopped working, the hands frozen at the moment he stepped in. He wondered idly if Ianto's stop watch would work in the Rift. The thought of the Welshman brought a smile to Jack's lips and for a second banished his feeling of loneliness.

"Now what?" he said. "What were you expecting Harkness? Whatever were you expecting?"

Some time passed; Jack had no way of knowing how long. Suddenly he felt a blinding pain shoot through his head, causing him to screw up his eyes in agony.

"Great! Fucking great!" Jack seldom swore. "Of all the times to get a headache."

The pain eased up slightly, but came back seconds later with an even greater intensity. "Make that a migraine." he muttered, glad that he hadn't felt like eating before leaving the Hub because undoubtedly he would have thrown up. He sank to his knees, clutching his head, tears of pain squeezing from his eyes.

As abruptly as it started, the headache ended and Jack became aware that he wasn't alone any more. Something was now gently probing his mind.

"I'm sorry, oh human child, I didn't mean to hurt you. You are more fragile than I knew."

He realized that this had been spoken inside his head. And that it hadn't been said in English or any of the other languages that Jack knew. It didn't really seem to have used language at all. It was as if Jack simply knew what the voice was trying to convey to him.

He didn't feel threatened, but waves of dizziness washed over him, as he suddenly realized that he was completely disorientated and no longer knew which way was up or down.

"You are safe, Jack Harkness. You came to search for me, and I have found you. I see I must be very gentle with you, human child. I am too powerful for you, even though you are part of me. I am hurt, but you bring me what I need."

Jack reached out with his mind. "I know you need me, I could feel it. But what is it I can give to you?"

"I need to draw on the part of me that lies in you. And once I have drawn from it, I can repair the damage to this universe."

"Can you repair the damage to me?" asked Jack softly. "I don't want to be immortal. Please, take away this curse."

"Yes Jack Harkness, if that is what you want. I can take all my energy back, not just the amount I need to repair the damage on this side of the split. But if I do that, this universe will slowly cease to exist over the next few hundred of your earth years as the black hole drains it of all matter. There should not be a black hole on earth. It is not ordained in the order of things. Events will pass exactly as you foretold. The universe will end."

"To mend this wrong, I need you here on this side of the repair to maintain it. Every time you die, part of my energy will sustain the repair to the space and time continuum. But if you are no longer immortal, this cannot happen. So you may choose, Jack Harkness. You may choose to live an ordinary life or you may choose to save the universe."

"Just call me Captain America." said Jack. "That's not even really a choice is it?"

"You have a choice, Jack. There is always choice. You have free will. I gave you free will. It is just not a kind choice that I require you to make."

"Can you help to break the wormhole in the Rift that links to CERN?"

"When I am repaired Jack Harkness, it will be gone. Everything will be as it should be again in this universe."

"Will this Rift still be here?"

"Yes, human child. That is part of the order of this universe. Come, have you made your decision?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, it was never in doubt. Take what you need from me. Leave me as I am. I am not important."

"Jack Harkness, your choice makes you the most important person who ever lived. There is one thing I can offer you, my human child. In the natural order, this universe will eventually come to an end. You are immortal and once the universe is at its end, you will continue to exist outside time and space. I can take just enough from you to maintain the repair until the end of the universe and then, when it dies, you too will die. with it. You will both cease to exist at the same time. Now, come Jack Harkness, close your eyes and go to sleep. I will not do this to you while you are awake."

The voice was very gentle but absolutely compelling. Even had he wanted to, Jack could not have disobeyed. He shut his eyes and, as he felt his consciousness slip rapidly away, he was aware that a weight had already been lifted from him. The guarantee of death, even if it was a long, long time in the future, still represented hope to him.


	4. Just Call Me Captain America

**Chapter Four – Just Call Me Captain America**

**Friday 25/10/08**

Jack came round with a blinding headache. The purple nothingness had gone and had been replaced with a bright light shining into his eyes. He tried to raise his hands to push away the irritating light source but realized he was too weak to move.

"Welcome back." said a familiar voice.

Jack tried to speak. "Ianto." He croaked. His throat hurt.

"Ssssh." Ianto silenced him. "They've only just taken the ventilator out. Your throat is going to hurt for a while."

"Wh… wh…?"

"You are in Cardiff, St David's hospital. They found you in Bute Park."

"How…how long?"

"You've been here for two weeks, Jack."

Jack tried to shake his head; he grunted "huh?". It was all he could manage.

Ianto, as always, understood what Jack wanted.

"You were gone for nearly a month, Jack."

Jack closed his eyes. He felt sick. He knew what agony Ianto must have gone through during that time.

He felt his Ianto's gentle touch at his mouth and several chips of ice slid down his parched throat. It was very welcome. He felt familiar, reassuring warm lips brush a kiss to his forehead. He opened his eyes again to see the nurse nod her head in agreement with something Ianto had said or done. Jack didn't know what, he was having trouble concentrating.

"Only five minutes, Mr Jones. And that's five minutes more than I should allow." She left the room, closing the door. They were alone.

Ianto sat on the bed beside Jack, clearly accustomed to seeing the various pipes, catheters, and wires that were attached to his body.

"You were gone for nearly a month, Jack." Ianto repeated.

Jack opened his mouth. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He squeezed the words out.

Ianto gently gathered Jack into his arms, taking care not to dislodge the life-giving support mechanisms.

"Ssssh. It's OK Jack. Don't get upset. I'm OK, we're all OK. I don't know what happened to you, or how the hell you did it but UNIT told us the morning you were found that CERN had managed to contain the black hole and it was no longer pulling in additional matter. You did it Jack, you did it. You actually saved the world!

"Captain America." said Jack, relaxing exhausted into Ianto's hold. "She sent me back, Ianto, back to the moment before the accelerator created the Higgs boson. I absorbed the energy that created the black hole.

"She?" questioned Ianto tentatively. He desperately wanted to know what had happened but knew that Jack was too weak at the moment.

Jack felt his eyes shutting, even though he wanted to just enjoy the sensation of being held. "I looked into the Vortex, Ianto," he whispered. "And just for once, everbody lives. We need more days like this." He unconsciously echoed the Doctor's words. "I looked into the darkness, Ianto, and there was something there after all." Ianto saw that Jack's heart rate was increasing as his memories started to flood in.

"Just rest now, Jack. I'll be here with you. We can talk about this when you are stronger. We have all the time in the world."

"I have all the time in the universe." said Jack, finally losing the fight to stay awake.

The End

* * *

Go on – tell the plot bunny what you thought of him!


End file.
